September 17, 2008

"Al Qaeda" Warns of Sleeper Cell WMD Attack Against Texas

The al-Yaqin Media Center purportedly interviewed an al Qaeda soldier and then posted the transcripts to jihadi forums. The Nine Eleven Foundation has released a translation of it.

In the interview, the al Qaeda member claims that there are sleeper cells in the United States made up of Muslims of European decent and who are prepared to attack at any moment. He also claims that al Qaeda continues to seek WMD, implies that they already have them, and that "Texas is in our sight!".

Time to evacuate Texas? Magic 8-ball says no.

Western intelligence has confirmed that al Qaeda does continue to seek WMD. They've also been public about their fears of Europeans in the al Qaeda organization carrying out attacks on the West. But the rest is just bluster.

Inactive sleeper cells in Houston that have been here since before 9/11, who have dirty bombs, and who are just waiting for the go-ahead from Osama bin Laden to kill tens of thousands of Texans? Not likely.

If Adnan G. El Shukrijumah ever managed to get a dirty bomb into Texas, why the hell wouldn't he just detonate it? Every day the bomb doesn't go off just increases the chances that the plot will be detected and therefore thwarted.

So, why post it? Because if the interview is to believed on a basic level then it provides a window into the mind of a low-level al Qaeda member.

He claims the U.S. left Saudi Arabia because of al Qaeda threats--not because we moved our forces into Iraq. He claims the U.S. is losing in Iraq -- post surge this is laughable. He also claims that the resignation of Musharraf came because of AQ's work.

As preposterous as this all sounds, he may actually believe this. And if he believes this then many in AQ might actually believe that the reason they haven't been able to mount a spectacular attack against the U.S. since 9/11 is because they're just waiting for the right time for an even bigger attack.

Highlights below. including the threats already mentioned but also a part in the interview when the AQ member laughs at 9/11 truthers. Really. He also claims that many university professor have been in contact with al Qaeda and helping them plot attacks against the US. A charge that I, oddly, don't find as hard to believe.

The giveaway here is that he also claims that the relatives of the many soldiers -- tens of thousands according to AQ propaganda -- killed in the GWOT but which the Pentagon claims are alive and well are helping AQ plot it's revenge. Mwuhahahahaahaaaa!

Again, highlights follow:

Our brothers have left for some time to all parts of the world and are waiting to receive the zero hour to implement operations. We ask God to guide the brothers who went out in support of God's religion, blessing be to the Exalted.

Some of them even exist since the events of September 11th and they are from the original Americans who did not leave America; waiting for the go-ahead signal to implement. This is up to the discretion of our Shaykh Usama bin Ladin, may God protect him. There are others scattered around the globe awaiting orders, and they are absorbed among the people to eliminate attention and to increase their penetration in the centers of the anticipated strikes.” ...

Now we know that there is an imminent strike against Europe and America, which is strong in the element of time and place, and there are so many so the mujahidin could choose the best. For example, during elections the state will be concerned with many things; such days are distinctive for Al-Qa'ida to prove its challenge and show strength when the world is awaiting the outcome of its elections! ...

Q) “There is a proposal that says that there are strikes specifically in Houston. Do you believe that the US President should evacuate Houston to protect his people from the strikes of the mujahidin? And if he paid no attention to such matters, would he be in an embarrassing position in front of his people as well as his situation is today?” ...

"Imagine that the city of Dubai, the city whose tyrant has spread all types of revelry and abomination, is more secure than Houston! Dick Cheney's company, which is called Halliburton, moved from Houston to Dubai, as they are keen to maintain their personal interests and they are primarily not interested in their people. Texas is in our sight!”

"We in the Al-Qa'ida organization know the rule that states 'fight your enemy with the weapon he fears, not with the weapon you fear.' What our enemy fears the most are two matters: A. a chemical-biological-radiological nuclear strike; and B. a strike targeting the infrastructure of the energy industry!”

"If this is what intimidates and punishes our enemy severely, it is obvious that we use and focus on studying it and preparing for it.” ...

"Even if the strikes were carried out in Houston, for example, and tens of thousands of infidels were eliminated, Bush would appear before his people to exploit his media apparatus and people's emotions and say that he was correct in the foolishness and actions he took in which he fought us and failed, and that failure in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia was worth sacrificing them!”

"If all people in Texas perished, we would have not fulfilled the rights of the dead Muslims yet, and we will fight them until we take revenge on the criminals who fought us and we will never leave them. ...

A) “The brother John Walker Lindh is of pure American origin and is accused of fighting with the Taliban and Al-Qa'ida. Brother Adam Gadahn is also a pure white American who grew up and was raised in California. There are dozens of Americans and hundreds of Europeans who came to Afghanistan and were trained at our camps. Some were native citizens who entered Afghanistan
and returned to their homes without having anything on their passports that indicated that they came to Afghanistan or any of the countries surrounding Afghanistan. This is part of the security measures that we cannot disclose.”

"Imagine what can happen when inside America and Europe there are mujahidin who carry their original names, have jobs, and even many who have not declared their Islamic religion but are waiting for a signal to carry out orders.”

"In addition to that there are many university professors in western countries who started contacting us and providing us with important information. Furthermore, the relatives of those Americans who were killed fighting with the American Army and had been, along with their relatives, underestimated by the American Administration which did not announce their names made them feel deeply frustrated. This made them cooperate and correspond with us to seek revenge from the American Administration which sacrificed their children and discriminated between its dead by not proclaiming most of them who were in the tens of thousands. The American Administration only announced the names of those who had close contacts with the officers and the officials. In addition, some individuals who work at their ministries [departments] contact us and provide us with information, for it does not make sense that the people of a country that is defeated continue to support and sustain it.

like what happened with the 11 September strikes and others. We knew that America would be hit within a few days, but we did not know the exact target. We used to laugh about them, and the brothers were making jokes about the Americans and those who promoted the saying that the 11 September strikes were planned by the enemy. We used to comment in a funny way about the silliness of their sayings, and this only demonstrated their weakness and lack of ploy.”